Communications and data service providers are deploying large numbers of pluggable transceivers across their networks to support the increasing demand for connectivity and bandwidth. They are quick and easy to install enabling rapid service delivery and network capacity upgrades. Pluggable transceivers include a broad range of standard device types, for example multi-source agreement (MSA) pluggable transceivers; small form-factor pluggable (SFP), enhanced SFP (SFP+), XFP, SFP, Quad SFP+ (QSFP+), SFP28, QSFP28, C form-factor pluggable types (CFP), etc., and proprietary “smart” SFP types. In addition, pluggable transceivers include other standard and proprietary device types, for example; RJ45 Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices and dongles, USB devices and dongles, Internet of Things (IoT) telematics devices and sensors, communications, computer and storage system plugin cards such as optical transponders, muxponders, and switch network interface cards, packet switch and router interface cards, computer server cards, wireless transceiver and transponder cards, data acquisition and control equipment cards, audio/video encoder and decoder cards, etc., and mobile devices, having various configurations, form factors, network and or host interfaces, functions, and management interfaces.
In general, a pluggable transceiver is configured with an optical or electrical network interface specified by an MSA and or other standards, for example IEEE 802.3 Working Group, ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector, the Internet Engineering Task Force, the Metro Ethernet Forum, the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers, Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, etc. Consequently, pluggable transceivers support a plurality of network interface protocols, such as Gigabit Ethernet, OTN, CWDM, DWDM, Fiber Channel, SONET/SDH, GPON, CPRI, RFoG, etc. optical protocols, and Ethernet, xDSL, Gfast, T1/E1/T3/E3, etc. electrical protocols, or wireless protocols such as LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RFID, NFC, or Serial Digital Interface protocols, etc. In addition, pluggable transceivers support a plurality of network interface transmission formats, rates and wavelengths/frequencies. The network interface is typically configured with the appropriate connector type to interface with the physical transmission medium, for example, fiber optic, RJ45, etc. connector. Many pluggable transceivers, for example an Ethernet switch line card, provide one or more pluggable network interfaces each configured with a pluggable transceiver interface port that can accept a plurality of MSA pluggable transceiver types (e.g. an SFP+) to be installed and provide the desired network interface.
In general, a pluggable transceiver is configured with a host interface or adapter as specified in an MSA and or other standards and or other proprietary specification. Consequently, pluggable transceivers support a plurality of host interfaces, such as Ethernet MSA, USB, PoE, SCTE RF MSA, SMPTE SDI MSA, PCI, PICMG, SGPIO, VMEBus, ATCA, etc host interfaces. The host interface includes at least one of the following; communications, management, power and mechanical interfaces, and enable a pluggable transceiver to be installed in or connected to a host (i.e. via a physical interface to attach the transceiver to the host), and/or to operate when installed in or connected to a host (i.e. by allowing the transceiver to send and receive signals to and from the host, and for managing the transmission of such signals). The management interface enables a host to identify, program, configure and manage a pluggable transceiver, for example, the host is configured to read or write an MSA host interface management memory map, data fields and values. Management information is usually programmed into the pluggable transceiver non-volatile memory during the manufacturing process, etc. This type of memory is commonly an EEPROM, FRAM, NOR Flash or NAND Flash. Manufacturers may also program the pluggable transceiver memory with proprietary information, for example using proprietary MSA map extensions, data fields and values to configure and manage a “smart” SFP. The management interface is typically implemented using a management protocol and communications interface, for example a host interface providing an MSA memory mapped management protocol defining a set of memory address, data fields and values that are read and or written to memory using an I2C EEPROM communications interface. In some pluggable transceivers, programming, configuration and management of the pluggable transceiver is performed by a remote management system connected to a network, the pluggable transceiver configured to connect to such network via the network interface and or host interface communications interface, and such network and or host interfaces providing an in-band management interface (e.g. an Ethernet/IP communications interface and SNMP, CLI, and or Web GUI management interfaces). In addition, the host management interface may include other hardware control/status signals to operate the pluggable transceiver.
Manufacturers combine various integrated circuits, processors, programmable logic devices, memory, programs and data to configure a pluggable transceiver to provide functions and interfaces for specific applications and or operational configurations. Typically, a manufacturer will program and or configure a pluggable transceiver memory using proprietary methods during the manufacturing process and according to a desired operating configuration using predetermined programs and or data defining said desired operating configuration. Typically, a pluggable transceiver operator will configure a pluggable transceiver memory in the field via the host interface or network interface according to a desired operating configuration with data defining such desired operating configuration.
In general, pluggable transceivers are equipped with a controller, wherein the controller programs, configures and operates the pluggable transceiver. For such pluggable transceivers, a manufacturer will program the memory with programs and or data used by the controller. In addition, the memory may also be programmed with other programmable device programs and or data, for example storing the configuration of a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and IC configuration register data. For example, the programs and or data stored in memory and the logic gates in an FGPA are configured according to a desired operating configuration to provide an SFP supporting Gigabit Ethernet configured to provide network interface device (NID) functionality with corresponding network and host interfaces. The pluggable transceiver operating configuration is typically identified by a pluggable transceiver identification code, for example a product equipment code and or model number, etc.
In general, pluggable transceivers provide the capability to at least partially change or modify the pluggable transceiver host interface management data stored in memory. For example a pluggable transceiver can be configured in the field to support operations and maintenance activities such as setting host interface alarm and warning threshold parameters, laser output power output, receiver input, etc. Some pluggable transceivers provide the capability to change or modify the all pluggable transceiver programs and or data stored in memory in the field to support operations and maintenance using proprietary file (e.g. a file containing programs and or data) download and upgrade methods or using proprietary field programming systems, for example such upgrades used for fixing program defects or enabling new functionality, etc.
Some networking equipment manufacturers (NEMs) recommend that the operators of their equipment, for example service providers, use standard MSA pluggable transceivers wherein one or more host interface memory map data field value stored in memory must match the corresponding host interface memory map identification data field values provided by their proprietary pluggable transceivers. Consequently, some MSA compliant transceivers cannot be used in particular NEM equipment unless their host interface memory map identification data fields are programmed exactly according to the NEM host interface requirements.
Some service providers require that pluggable transceivers be pre-programmed and or pre-configured prior to deployment to meet their operational requirements. Consequently, the pluggable transceiver memory must be programmed with specific host interface management data, such as for example thresholds for digital diagnostic interface voltage and temperature monitoring, and product equipment code identification. In addition, proprietary pluggable transceivers configured to provide network functions, for example an SFP configured as a network interface device, a service assurance device, a protocol gateway device, optical network terminal device, etc., must have their memories programmed with specific proprietary host interface management data.
Therefore, as a matter of practice, a pluggable transceiver may support a plurality of operational configurations based on standards, proprietary, and service provider requirements that are programmed in the pluggable transceiver memory during the manufacturing process, wherein each operational configuration may be specific to a manufacturers product equipment code. For example, a manufacturer may receive an MSA compliant pluggable transceiver as raw material, perform quality control inspection and testing, and program its memory for a desired operating configuration as specified by one of many possible finished good product equipment codes for that raw material, the finished goods is labeled with the product equipment code information and shipped to a service provider. While this approach enables simple and traceable material management systems, it can lead to large and varied inventories of purpose-built (e.g. programmed) products, causing high supply chain overhead costs and potentially slowing service delivery operations when service or maintenance events are un-forecasted and the required parts are not available.
Other service providers have opted for an alternate approach to implementing their supply chain and configure each pluggable transceiver of a given product equipment code according one or more operating configurations. This approach has lead manufacturers and third parties to develop proprietary pluggable transceiver host interface programming devices that typically include a computer configured with a pluggable transceiver interface and proprietary software, some of which have been adapted for field use.
When not installed, the programmed operating configuration of a pluggable transceiver can be determined using the product equipment code as described above which usually entails scanning or reading the device product equipment code or bar code label, and if equipped cross referencing that information to find the product specification in a local database or through a network database. However, when the pluggable transceiver is configured without changing the product equipment code as described above, the actual device programming and or configuration can only be determined by reading the host interface memory map data field values electronically.
Based on current practice, a service provider can incur significant capital and operational expenses acquiring, configuring, managing and maintaining pluggable transceivers throughout their lifecycle. Likewise, pluggable transceiver manufacturers incur significant costs in producing and supplying a very broad portfolio of like pluggable transceivers. Therefore, there exists a need to quickly program or configure pluggable transceivers in the field with minimal equipment, and to minimize the size of the pluggable transceiver inventory, and to minimize the time to deploy a pluggable transceiver, and to minimize the time required to identify a pluggable transceiver and its programmed operating configuration in the supply chain or during installation and maintenance activities, and to minimize programming, configuration and identification errors introduced by operators during the manufacturing process and the service lifecycle.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and apparatus for